Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Pornography: Internet

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask His Majesty's Government what is their anticipatedtimeline for the introduction of age verification measures to prevent children’s access to online pornography.

Viscount Camrose: The Government is committed to having the Online Safety regulatory regime operational as soon as possible. During passage of the Act, we set an 18-month deadline for Ofcom to finalise certain guidance and codes of practice, including those relating to child safety duties and duties on regulated provider pornographic content. Ofcom published its draft guidance for Part 5 of the Act (provider pornographic content) on 5 December 2023. The draft codes for children’s safety duties will follow in spring next year. Collectively, these documents will set out the steps firms should take regarding age verification and age estimation measures to prevent children’s access to online pornography. Once Ofcom has issued its final codes of practice and guidance, we will commence the corresponding duties. We have been clear that we expect companies to take steps now to improve safety, and not wait for codes of practice or guidance to come into force before acting.

Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022

The Earl of Lytton: To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to lay statutory instruments under section 76 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 to introduce transitional provisions.

The Earl of Lytton: To ask His Majesty's Government how many civil servants in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technologyare currently working on an implementation strategy or transitional provisions for the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022.

The Earl of Lytton: To ask His Majesty's Government how many meetings they have had withindustry stakeholders about an implementation strategy and transitional provisions of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022.

The Earl of Lytton: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of orders for backdated rent payments under the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022.

Viscount Camrose: The Government remains committed to implementing all remaining provisions of Part 2 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 before the end of 2024. Departmental officials have been prioritising delivery of important measures to help deployment based on extensive engagement with operators, site providers and other stakeholders. The policy team responsible for the implementation of the PSTI Act, amongst a number of other priorities, is currently staffed by five policy officials below Senior Civil Servant grade, who are supported by legal resource as required. The team also covers other policy areas, including local authority engagement and street works issues relating to broadband. The team provides updates to stakeholders on the implementation of the PSTI Act as part of regular, ongoing stakeholder engagement; and recently held two series of roundtable discussions for stakeholders with an interest in the implementation of the PSTI Act in July and September 2023. PSTI Act implementation is raised in many other stakeholder meetings as part of our wider agenda. Due to the complex nature of the provisions of the PSTI Act that relate to the renewal of relevant leases under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, and their interaction with the backdating of rent under that legislation, no final decision has been taken on transitional provisions. However, backdated payments were raised as a key concern during Parliamentary passage, and are something the Department is considering closely. The Department undertook to look carefully at the potential impacts of the backdating of rent when considering the commencement of these provisions and any transitional provisions, and this work is ongoing.

Broadband: Rural Areas

Lord Empey: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byViscount Camrose on 28 September (HL10228), howmany of the 97 voucher project applications came from Northern Ireland.

Viscount Camrose: The number of voucher project applications awaiting approval is dynamic and changes regularly. As of 30 November 2023, there are eight outstanding voucher project applications for Northern Ireland pending a decision.

Broadband: Rural Areas

Lord Empey: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byViscount Camrose on 27 September (HL10227), when the temporary pauseto the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme was introduced; when the work to launch the new procurements will be completed; and for what reason they closed the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme while the procurements were taking place.

Viscount Camrose: The Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme was paused in Northern Ireland on 6 July 2023. The voucher scheme is paused ahead of planned procurements across an area, to enable the intervention area to be defined and to avoid the doubling up of public subsidy for eligible premises. Procurements in Northern Ireland are currently due to launch in the first half of 2024, with the aim to award a contract to the successful supplier by Autumn 2024. Where the scope of voucher projects will not impact on procurement planning, these may be approved and can continue to be delivered throughout the voucher pause period.

Pornography: Internet

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask His Majesty's Government whether Ofcom has any plans (1) to hold discussions with the British Board of Film Classification to support itsregulation of online pornography sites, and (2) to collaborate with the Internet Watch Foundation, in relation to child sex abuse material.

Viscount Camrose: Ofcom, as the independent regulator of the Online Safety Act 2023 will decide on the stakeholder engagement it will carry out. It has said that it will engage with a range of stakeholders as it develops its guidance and codes of practice for the regulatory regime.

Pornography Review

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to their announcement on 3 July regarding the launch of a pornography review to tackle exploitative, abusive and illegal content online, what update they can provide on plans for that review.

Viscount Camrose: On 1 December, the government announced that Baroness Gabby Bertin has been appointed as the independent lead reviewer for the review of pornography regulation, legislation and enforcement. Details on her announcement and the review’s Terms of Reference can be found on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/illegal-pornography-abuse-and-exploitation-to-be-investigated-by-new-reviewer

Treasury

European Union: Payments

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask His Majesty's Government how much money the UK pays to the EU annually; for what purpose; and for how long such payments are expected to continue.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Details of how much money the UK has paid the EU, its purposes, forecasts of future payments and timings are set out in the annual European Union Finances Statement. The most recent version covers payments made in 2022 and is available in the library of the House and on Gov.uk.

Debts

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the risk of an increase in unaffordable consumer debt, including credit-card debt, in the new year.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government regularly engages with the Bank of England, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) to monitor personal finances. The Government remains committed to helping people in problem debt access the support they need to get their finances back on track. This is why the Government continues to maintain record levels of debt advice funding for MaPS to provide debt advice in England, bringing their debt advice budget to £92.7 million in 2023/24.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Bangladesh: Rohingya

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 27 November (HL485), how much the UK donated in aid to the Rohingya response in Bangladesh in(1) 2017,(2) 2018,(3) 2019,(4)2020,(5) 2021, and (6) 2022.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is a leading donor to the Rohingya response in Bangladesh, providing over £373 million in humanitarian support for the crisis since 2017. In the years requested, the UK has provided the following funding:2017-2018 - £51.8 million2018-2019 - £63.9 million2019-2020 - £112.5 million2020-2021 - £65.5 million2021-2022 - £36.6 million2022-2023 - £20.2 million.Given unprecedented global humanitarian need, the UK has adjusted annual allocations for specific crises, including the Rohingya. The UK will return to the 0.7 per cent ODA/GNI target as soon as the fiscal situation allows.

Roderick Drummond

Lord Scriven: To ask His Majesty's Government why the former Ambassador to Bahrain, Roderick Drummond, has not been instructed to hand back the award given to him by the government of Bahrain, given the terms of the UK Rules on Acceptance of Foreign Awards; and what assessment they have made of the potential consequences for the performance of UK ambassadors which may arise from allowing the retention of such honours by former ambassadors.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Rules on Acceptance of Foreign Awards state that permission will not be given to requests to confer a foreign order, decoration or medal on Heads of HMG diplomatic missions. Where an award is conferred without permission, a Head of Mission, will not be given permission to formally accept, or wear, the award but is allowed to retain it. There is no requirement to return the award. Diplomatic Missions in London are reminded annually of the requirement to seek agreement to confer a foreign honour on a British national.

India: Charities

Lord Addington: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have published guidance for people and organisations wishing to donate to charities in India, with regard to India’s Foreign Contribution Regulation Act.

Lord Addington: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the British High Commission in New Delhi has the resources to give practical guidance concerning national and state law to people and organisations, particularly UK charities, who wish to donate to charitable causes in India and who are not registered with India’s Foreign Contribution Regulation Act; and what is the name of any such guidance.

Lord Addington: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have encouraged the Indian High Commission in London to provide advice on how best to donate to charitable causes in the Republic of India for those who are not registered with India’s Foreign Contribution Regulation Act.

Lord Addington: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they planto introduce a system similar to the Australian Direct Aid Program for use in India.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government is aware that some Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have faced difficulties in India due to the strict application of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). HMG officials have discussed FCRA-related issues with the Government of India and continue to monitor developments, especially the impact on the work of British NGOs in India. The British High Commission in New Delhi regularly engages NGOs and continues to support a wide range of local NGO partners in-country, including through direct programmes. The High Commission does not provide tailored guidance on FCRA-related issues.

Commonwealth: Charities

Lord Addington: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have asked the British Commonwealth of Nations for advice on how the charitable sector can operate within the Commonwealth.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Commonwealth is home to a wide range of charitable organisations. Through a Commonwealth Secretariat led process, eligible charities, including those based in the UK, can become recognised as Commonwealth Accredited Organisation. Accreditation includes a range of benefits to the organisation and provides a platform for enhanced Commonwealth engagement. The charity sector, as a whole, plays an important role across the Commonwealth.

USA: Foreign Relations

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask His Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to enhance bilateral relations with the United States; and what priorities they have identified for cooperation on key global challenges.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Earlier this year, the PM and President Biden agreed a first-of-its-kind economic partnership, the 'Atlantic Declaration', which will see our countries work together more closely than ever before ensuring US-UK leadership in critical and emerging technologies, closer cooperation on our economic security, partnering on digital transformation, and building the clean energy economy of the future. The US-UK relationship remains strong and we are united by decades of unrivalled security and defence cooperation. We continue to work with the US Administration to deepen and strengthen our vital economic and trading partnership, advance mutual priorities and shape the global trade agenda.

New Zealand: Foreign Relations

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask His Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to deepen relations with New Zealand; and what common objectives have been identified for advancing cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK has strong relations with New Zealand through our modern partnership built on shared values and history. The partnership is reinforced by close friendship, prosperity and people-to-people links, Commonwealth membership and cultural exchange. HMG is in regular contact with counterparts in New Zealand to advance cooperation on a broad range of issues including trade, security and development. We look forward to continuing to deepen our cooperation with New Zealand's new government.

Windsor Framework

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the European Commission about changing the Windsor Framework and removing aspects of EU law from Northern Ireland.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government is focused on operating the Windsor Framework so it can safeguard Northern Ireland's place in our Union. The new arrangements which came into force on 1 October already disapply swathes of EU law and support the smooth flow of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. We welcome that thousands of new businesses have signed up to use these arrangements.The Framework also provides a powerful new role for the Northern Ireland institutions, not least with the Stormont Brake. However, we need to see power-sharing back up and running to make use of this significant new safeguard, to further support the effective operation of the Framework.

Department for Education

Schools and Universities: Antisemitism

Lord Johnson of Marylebone: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the bidding process for the £7 million of funding to tackle antisemitism in schools and universities, announced in the Autumn Statement.

Baroness Barran: Following the Autumn Statement announcement, the government is preparing to issue an invitation for interested organisations to tender to tackle anti-semitism in schools, colleges, and universities. The department encourages all interested organisations to consider submitting a bid in response to the invitation to tender.

Special Educational Needs: Cancer

Lord Storey: To ask His Majesty's Government what was the total number of children suffering from cancer and on an Education, Health and Care Plan in each of the last three years.

Baroness Barran: Information on the number of children with cancer and with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan is not held. The department collects data on EHC plans in England, and the nature of special educational needs. However, this is not to the granularity of specific medical conditions such as cancer. The department publishes annual national statistics relating to EHC plans on the Explore Education Statistics platform, which is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans.

Students: Loans

Baroness Thomas of Winchester: To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they are makingtowards Sharia-compliant student loans.

Baroness Barran: The government is committed to delivering an Alternative Student Finance (ASF) product compatible with Islamic finance principles as quickly as operationally possible. To support the delivery of an ASF product, the government took new powers in the Higher Education and Research Act 2017 to enable my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, to provide alternative payments for students to pay for tuition fees, in addition to grants and loans. The department has also carried out work with specialist advisers, the Islamic Finance Council UK (UKIFC), on the design of an ASF model. The government is introducing the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE), which will significantly change the ways students can access learning and financial support. In response to the LLE consultation, published on 7 March 2023, the department set out aims to ensure that students will be able to access ASF as soon as possible after the introduction of the LLE. Work is underway to assess how ASF can be delivered as a product. The Islamic Finance Council UK (UKIFC) has been reappointed to support work on ASF. Furthermore, the department is also working with the Student Loans Company (SLC) to better understand timescales for delivering an ASF product. Further information about how to develop the ASF product can be found in a blog post on ASF, and a further update on ASF will be provided later this month. The blog is available at: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2023/07/21/alternative-student-finance-how-were-making-student-finance-accessible-to-everyone/.

Teachers: Pay

Lord Rogan: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with(1) representatives of the devolved governments, and(2) trade unions, regarding the geographical discrepancies in starting salaries for teachers across the UK.

Baroness Barran: The School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) makes recommendations on Teachers’ Pay and Conditions in maintained schools in England. If my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, agrees to these recommendations they are implemented through the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document. In 2023/24, the government fully accepted the STRB’s recommendations for teachers’ and leaders’ pay awards. This means that teachers and leaders in maintained schools received a pay award of 6.5% this academic year, the highest pay award for teachers in over thirty years. This award also delivered the government’s manifesto commitment of a minimum £30,000 starting salary for school teachers in all regions of the country, with a pay award of up to 7.1% for new teachers outside London. Teacher pay is a devolved matter in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and is not affected by this pay award. Any decisions on pay within the education sector of devolved administrations is a matter for their national governments to decide upon. Departmental officials have regular contact and discussions with their devolved administration counterparts on developments on respective pay and conditions policy. The department engages with unions regarding pay and other matters throughout the year. Furthermore, all statutory consultees (including unions) have the opportunity to provide written and oral evidence to the STRB and are consulted on the department’s proposals for pay and conditions.

Members: Correspondence

Baroness Quin: To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to reply to the letter dated 24 July fromBaroness Quin to the Minister of State at the Department for Educationregarding theinclusion of traditional music in music teaching in schools.

Baroness Barran: I can confirm that a response to the correspondence dated 24 July 2023 from the Noble Lady was sent on 21 August 2023.

Apprentices

Baroness Wolf of Dulwich: To ask His Majesty's Government howmany End Point Assessment Organisations are currently approved to carry out assessments for level 7 standards; and how many of these are (1) higher education institutions, (2) other educational institutions, (3) independent training providers, (4) awarding bodies or subsidiaries of awarding bodies, and (5) organisations that do not fall into any of those categories.

Baroness Barran: For an organisation to deliver apprenticeship end-point assessments, they must be recognised by their external quality assurance regulator. For level 7 apprenticeship standards, this can be Ofqual, Office for Students, or in some cases, the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.Once approved by the regulator, the end-point assessment organisation (EPAO) is required to be on the Apprenticeship Provider Assessment Register (APAR) so that they can be selected by the training provider, and be eligible for government funding.Currently, there are 110 EPAOs listed on the APAR offering end-point assessment of level 7 apprenticeship standards. Of these, 64 are higher education institutions, 9 are other educational institutions, 9 are independent training providers, 11 are awarding bodies or subsidiaries of awarding bodies, and 17 are organisations that do not fall into any of those categories.

Employment: Artificial Intelligence

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of any potential benefits of using artificial intelligence to develop skillsfor the workplace.

Baroness Barran: Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform society. The department wants to capitalise on the opportunities that technology, such as AI, presents for education, as well as addressing its risks and challenges. When used appropriately, technology (including generative AI), has the potential to reduce workload across the education sector, and free up teachers’ time, allowing them to focus on delivering excellent teaching. The department wants schools, colleges, universities and families to have digestible rigorous evidence on education technology products at their fingertips so that they can effectively choose and implement technology. This includes the use of generative AI in educational settings. The department is building the evidence base for how generative AI is best used in education and learning from the experience and expertise of the sector. The department published the response to our call for evidence on generative AI in education on 28 November 2023. The department is working with Faculty Science Ltd in partnership and the National Institute of Teaching to run a Generative AI Hackathons project. The department has endowed the Education Endowment Foundation, an independent charity, with a further £137 million to encourage innovative and effective evidence-based teaching, including using technology. The department is ensuring everyone has the essential digital skills they need to engage with modern technology. In August 2020, the department introduced a new digital entitlement to fully fund adults to study towards an essential digital skills qualification, up to Level 1, and from September 2023, digital functional skills qualifications. These qualifications give adults the essential digital skills they need to participate actively in modern day life, work and further study. To support the UK’s development of AI talent, the department are creating 1000 new AI PhDs through Centres for Doctoral Training, with £117 million of government investment.

Children and Young People: Cancer

Lord Storey: To ask His Majesty's Government what provision and educational support is given to children and young people who are out of school long term with cancer.

Baroness Barran: Local authorities have a duty, under Section 19 of the Education Act 1996, to arrange a suitable education for children of compulsory school age unable to receive their education in school because of any illness, including cancer. Children who are unable to attend school because of a health need should be able to access suitable and flexible education appropriate to their needs. The nature of the provision must be responsive to the demands of what may be a changing health status. Provision for children who are not attending school due to their health needs should offer good quality education equivalent to that provided in mainstream schools, as far as the child’s health needs allow.

Apprentices

Baroness Wolf of Dulwich: To ask His Majesty's Government how many apprenticeshipstarts at level 6 there were in (1) 2021–22, and (2) 2022–23, broken down by (a) 16 to 18 year-olds, (b) 19 to 24 year-olds, and (c) those aged 25 and over; and how many of these were degree apprenticeships.

Baroness Wolf of Dulwich: To ask His Majesty's Government how many apprenticeship starts on the level 7 Senior Leadership standard there were in in (1) 2021–22, and (2) 2022–23; how many of these apprentices were employed in levy-paying organisations; and how many there were per region.

Baroness Wolf of Dulwich: To ask His Majesty's Government howmany apprenticeship completions were recorded on the Senior Leadership route in 2022–23.

Baroness Wolf of Dulwich: To ask His Majesty's Government how many apprenticeship starts at level 7 there were in in (1) 2021–22, and (2) 2022–23 which fell within the legal, finance and accounting route; how many of these were employed in levy-paying organisations; and how many there were per region

Baroness Barran: Apprenticeship starts at Level 6 and 7 in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years are shown in the following tables. All apprenticeships at Level 6 and Level 7 are classed as degree-level apprenticeships. Apprenticeship levelAge group2021/222022/23Level 6Under 192,1903,22019-248,5008,60025+12,86013,220All ages23,55025,030  Apprenticeship levelAge group2021/222022/23Level 7Under 1936045019-247,6307,77025+11,70013,540All ages19,68021,760 Level 7 Apprenticeship starts in the legal, finance and accounting route in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years are shown in the tables below, along with breakdowns by region, and where starts were supported by Apprenticeship service account levy funds.Level 7 Apprenticeship starts in the legal, finance and accounting route:2021/222022/2310,45010,650 Of which supported by Apprenticeship service account levy funds:2021/222022/238,4208,670 Of which by region:Region2021/22 2022/23East Midlands680670East of England1,1101,060London2,3602,460North East300310North West1,4501,350South East1,6601,780South West880930West Midlands1,0101,050Yorkshire and The Humber800850Outside of England and unknown200200 Apprenticeship starts on the Level 7 Senior Leadership standard in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years are shown in the tables below, along with breakdowns by region, and where starts were supported by Apprenticeship service account levy funds. Level 7 Senior leader apprenticeship starts:2021/222022/234,8806,110 Of which supported by Apprenticeship service account levy funds:2021/222022/234,2105,270 Of which by region:Region2021/222022/23East Midlands390510East of England520640London8101,100North East280310North West600750South East8401,040South West450470West Midlands580650Yorkshire and The Humber350560Outside of England and unknown7080 There were 5,540 achievements in the Business and Administration Route in the 2022/23 academic year. Of these, 4,020 were on the Senior Leader (ST0480) apprenticeship standard. Further information on apprenticeship starts can be found in the apprenticeships and traineeships statistics publication, which can be accessed at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships.Notes for tables: (1) Volumes are rounded to the nearest 10.(2) Data source is the individualised Learner Record.(3) Geography is based upon the home postcode of the learner. Where the postcode is outside of England or not known it is included in the 'Outside of England and unknown' category.(4) Geographies are taken from the National Statistics Postcode Lookup.(5) Please see the 'Further education and skills statistics: methodology' document for more information about how 'supported by Apprenticeship service account levy funds' is derived.(6) Route information is based on the latest information held on the IfATE 'Search the apprenticeships' page at the point of publication.

Department for Transport

Transport: Rural Areas

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to respond to the high level of transport poverty in rural areas, as outlined in the report Getting the measure of transport poverty published by the Social Market Foundation on 15 November.

Lord Davies of Gower: The Government understands that the transport needs of communities in rural areas differ from those in urban environments for a variety of reasons including demographics, lower population density and travel distances. The Department for Transport published its ‘Future of Transport: supporting rural transport innovation’ guidance in early October, and will now work to implement its pledges, such as working closer with local leadership to help deploy and scale innovative new technologies in rural communities. As part of this guide, the Department is making up to £3 million of funding available for rural innovation. This will help explore innovative solutions to long-standing issues, such as loneliness and isolation, poor access to services and economically challenging business cases for rural transport services. The Department is also providing considerable support for bus and other transport services, including in rural areas. Our £20 million Rural Mobility Fund is supporting 16 innovative, demand-led minibus trials in rural and suburban areas across 16 local authorities, including Hertfordshire, in England. These pilots are exploring whether Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) can serve these communities more effectively than traditional public transport solutions alone. We have also announced that a new uplift of 60% will be added to Community Transport Operators’ (CTOs) Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) claims until 31 March 2025. More widely, in May, we announced a long-term approach to protect and improve bus services backed by an additional £300 million from July 2023 until April 2025. £140 million of this funding will go to bus operators to support services, and the remaining £160 million will go to Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) to protect and enhance bus services, and support local fares initiatives. The Government is investing nearly £600 million to deliver a £2 fare cap on single bus fares in England outside London to help passengers save on their regular travel costs, which the Prime Minister recently announced would be extended until the end of 2024. On 4 October, as part of Network North, we announced a further £1 billion from redirected HS2 funding to level up bus services in the North and Midlands, helping to make them more frequent, reliable, cheaper, and easier to use.

Home Office

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to stop dangerous and illegal Channel crossings and to ensure criminal gangs can no longer assist illegal immigration into the UK, and when they expect such crossings to end.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Government continues to work closely with domestic and international partners to reduce the incidence of these dangerous, illegal and unnecessary crossings, and to prosecute those who profit from them. Crossing attempts have decreased by a third this year, and large numbers of suspected facilitators have been arrested. Violence is now being increasingly employed by migrants and facilitators when crossing attempts are disrupted by French law enforcement, suggesting that these efforts are having an impact on criminals. The Illegal Migration Act, enacted in July this year, marks a vital step forward in ending these crossings by removing the incentives for using these dangerous, illegal, and unnecessary routes. A timescale for the ending of these crossings cannot currently be given, but in 2023 for the first time we have seen a reduction in arrivals.

Asylum: Age Assurance

Lord Scriven: To ask His Majesty's Government how many people who arrived in the UK claiming to be unaccompanied children seeking asylum, and who underwent a Merton compliant age assessment and were determined as a child, were then found to be an adult, for each year since 2016; and what percentage of the number of Merton compliant age assessment tests this constituted, broken down by year since 2016.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Home Office publishes data on asylum and resettlement in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’ on gov.uk. Data on Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children and age disputes are published in tables Asy_D01 and Asy_D05 of the ‘Asylum and Resettlement detailed datasets’. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of each of the workbooks. The latest data relates to Q3 2023. Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’ on gov.uk. Data on age disputes includes age disputes that may have been resolved by means other than following a Merton compliant age assessment such as: receipt of credible and clear documentary evidence of age; a judicial finding on age; following a determination by two Home Office officers that the person’s physical appearance and demeanour very strongly suggests they are significantly over the age of 18; or, where the reasons for raising an age dispute no longer apply.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Standards

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask His Majesty's Government what investments they are making to enhance the capacity of the Armed Forces, including modernization of equipment, training and recruitment.

The Earl of Minto: The MOD has set out plans to enhance the capacity of the Armed Forces, details of which can be found in the Defence Command Paper Refresh which was published on 18 July 2023.

Armed Forces: Cybersecurity

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask His Majesty's Government what update they can provide on the progress of initiatives aimed at enhancing the cybersecurity of the UK military; and what measures are in place to protect the UK military's critical infrastructure.

The Earl of Minto: I refer the noble Lord to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Defence Procurement (James Cartlidge), in the House of Commons on 24 October 2023 to the right hon. Member for Wentworth and Dearne (Mr John Healey) in response to Question number 202622.MOD Cyber Security (docx, 15.3KB)

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Affordable Housing: Travellers

Baroness Whitaker: To ask His Majesty's Government how many Gypsy and Traveller sites the Affordable Homes Programmehas funded in each year since its inception, and how many in total.

Baroness Penn: In total 208 permanent traveller pitches have been delivered since 2016, including pitches funded by other means apart from the Affordable Homes Programme.

Freeports: Northern Ireland

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask His Majesty's Government why Northern Ireland was omitted from the Chancellor’s plan to create more freeports or ‘investment zones’ within the UK.

Baroness Penn: We continue discussions about how best to deliver the benefits associated with Freeports and Investment Zones in Northern Ireland. Any decision will be subject to the restoration of an Executive.

Local Government: Judicial Review

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government, in relation to duties imposed on local authorities by the Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill for which there is an enforcement authority, whether there are any other instances in statute in which persons are able to make applications for judicial review of the local authority, rather than the enforcement authority.

Baroness Penn: It is expected that the enforcement regime will act as the main deterrent to breaches of the ban. However, where the public body in question would be amenable to judicial review in relation to the decision, the Bill is clear that judicial review is still available to any persons, irrespective of the other enforcement provisions in the Bill. This is in line with the normal principle that the exercise of public functions should be subject to judicial review.

Private Rented Housing

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government, following reports that the average tenant household spends 35.3 per cent of their income on rent, what steps they are taking to alleviate financial strain on tenants in the private rental sector.

Baroness Penn: The Government recognises the cost of living pressures that tenants are facing, and that paying rent is likely to be a tenant’s biggest monthly expense. We are continuing to support households with the high cost of living, providing support worth £104 billion over 2022-25, or £3,700 per household on average.From April 2024, we will be investing £1.2 billion restoring Local Housing Allowance rates to the 30th percentile of local market rents. This significant investment will mean 1.6 million low income households will gain, on average, nearly £800 per year in additional help towards their rental costs in 2024/25.Discretionary Housing Payments are available to help meet a shortfall in housing costs, Cost of Living Payments are available this year to households on mean-tested benefits, those on disability benefits, and pensioners, and the Household Support Fund has been extended to help with the cost of essentials.

Planning: Climate Change

Lord Ravensdale: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by the Minister of State for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities when she stated that they "intend to do a fuller review of the national planning policy framework to ensure it contributes to climate change mitigation and adaptation as fully as possible" (HC Deb col 787), when they will do so.

Baroness Penn: The existing National Planning Policy Framework is clear that the planning system should support the transition to a low carbon future. Plans should take a proactive approach to mitigating and adapting to climate change, taking into account the long-term implications, in line with the objectives and provisions of the Climate Change Act 2008.We will publish proposed changes to national planning policy in due course, including those arising from the introduction of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act and the creation of National Development Management Policies.

Cabinet Office

Legislation

Earl Attlee: To ask His Majesty's Government which sections of which Acts of Parliament that have received Royal Assent since May 2010 have not been commenced by Ministers.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Cabinet Office does not maintain a central database of sections of Acts of Parliament that have not been commenced. Details of all Acts of Parliament that have received Royal Assent, including their commencement status, are publicly available at legislation.gov.uk.

Department for Work and Pensions

Local Housing Allowance

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential benefits of ending the freeze in Local Housing Allowance rates before April 2024.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: As announced by the Chancellor in the recent Autumn Statement, the Government will be investing £1.2 billion in 24/25 increasing LHA rates to the 30th percentile of local market rents. This is a significant investment of over £7 billion over the next five years. Secondary legislation is required for this increase, which will be laid in January and will come into force by 31st January 2024. This allows the Department for Work and Pensions and local authorities sufficient time to implement the rates from April 2024 and ensure claimants are paid accurately. Increases to other benefits also apply from April 2024 onwards. For those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs and need further support Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available from local authorities. Since 2011 the Government has provided nearly £1.7 billion in DHP funding to local authorities. Since October 2021, Government has provided over £2 billion to local authorities in England via the Household Support Fund (HSF) for them to provide discretionary support with the cost of essentials to those most in need. As with all government spending in England, the HSF has led to consequential increases in Barnett funding, which the Devolved Administrations can spend at their discretion.

Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

Lord Field of Birkenhead: To ask His Majesty's Government, in the most recent period of 12 months for which data are available, how many benefit claims were cancelled or suspended while third-party accusations about claimants' circumstances were investigated, what proportion of those claims were fully reinstated following an investigation, and what was the average length of time taken to investigate those claims.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: DWP values the role played by members of the public in reporting suspected fraud and takes appropriate action in relation to all such allegations. However, we do not hold information regarding the number of such cases suspended or closed whilst a fraud investigation is ongoing. A claim would only be suspended whilst investigations are ongoing where there is strong intelligence/evidence that benefit entitlement is in doubt. The claimant would be informed of the specific reason for this, with all decisions on suspension being made in accordance with legislation and case law. Such decisions are not taken lightly but are important in ensuring not only that losses to the public purse as a result of suspected fraud are minimised, but also in ensuring that the individual concerned does not incur potentially large benefit overpayments that they might later be required to repay.

Department of Health and Social Care

Folic Acid: Prescriptions

Lord Moylan: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will request NHS England to permit the prescription of Thiamine capsules as an alternative to tablets.

Lord Markham: Clinicians are responsible for making prescribing decisions for their patients, considering best prescribing practice and appropriate national and local guidance.In respect of the prescribing of unlicensed medicines, the National Health Service’s long-established practice is reflected in professional guidance. Individual patient needs should be fulfilled by, firstly, using a licensed medicine within its licensed indication, or if there is nothing suitable, using a licensed medicine outside its licensed indication. If there is still nothing suitable after this, the clinician can consider using an unlicensed medicine.Thiamine tablets are available as a licensed medicine. Thiamine capsules are not a licensed medicine. Thiamine supplements can be purchased from pharmacies or shops. These include vitamin B complex tablets and multivitamin tablets where thiamine is listed as an ingredient. NHS guidance states that vitamins and minerals should not be routinely prescribed in primary care as there is insufficient high-quality evidence to demonstrate their clinical effectiveness. However, subject to funding, a clinician can prescribe any product on the NHS that they consider to be clinically necessary for the treatment of their patient unless it is listed in Schedules 1 or 2 of the NHS (General Medical Services Contracts) (Prescription of Drugs etc.) Regulations 2004. Parts XVIIIA and XVIIIB of the NHS Drug Tariff list the drugs, medicines and other substance that may not be ordered, or may only be ordered on the NHS in certain circumstances under the above regulations.

Genito-urinary Medicine

Baroness Northover: To ask His Majesty's Government, ahead of the 30-year review of the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action, what progress they have made since 1994 on sexual and reproductive health and rights in the UK.

Lord Markham: We are proud of the United Kingdom’s progress regarding sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in the last thirty years and of our country’s leadership as the top performing country in SRHR policies according to the European Combined SRHR Ranking Atlas 2020-2023.In Great Britain, women have access to safe, regulated National Health Service-funded termination of pregnancy services under the Abortion Act 1967. Abortion was decriminalised in Northern Ireland through the introduction of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc.) Act 2019. Health is devolved in the UK, and progress on SRHR in England has included several areas of SRHR.Contraception plays a vital role in preventing unintended pregnancy and a wide range of contraceptive choices are available free of charge in a range of primary and community care venues in England, including through the NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service since April 2023. The conception rate amongst women under 18 years old in England is now lower than it was twenty years ago and has more than halved between 2011 and 2021. The conception rate for those aged under 16 years old is approximately a third of what it was 10 years ago.The 2022 Women’s Health Strategy for England sets out our plans for boosting the health and wellbeing of women and girls, and for improving how the health and care system engages and listens to all women. This includes investing £25 million in women’s health hubs to improve women’s access to essential services for menstrual problems, contraception, menopause care and more.Local authorities in England are responsible for commissioning comprehensive open access to most sexual health services (SHSs) through the public health grant funded at £3.5 billion in 2023/24. Individual local authorities are well placed to make funding and commissioning decisions about the SHSs that best meet the needs of their local populations. This includes oral HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, which has been routinely available in specialist SHSs since 2020.The National Chlamydia Screening Programme focuses on reducing reproductive harm of untreated infection in young women aged 15 to 24 years old. The programme has the secondary aims of reducing re-infections and onward transmission of chlamydia and raising awareness of good sexual health.Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a very common sexually transmitted infection, and some types can cause genital warts or cervical cancer. The national HPV vaccination programme was introduced for girls in September 2008 and extended to eligible boys in September 2019. In 2022, genital warts diagnoses among young women aged between 15 and 17 years old attending SHSs were 67.9% lower than in 2018.The HIV Action Plan is the cornerstone of our approach in England to drive forward progress and achieve our goal to end new HIV transmissions, AIDS and HIV-related deaths within England by 2030 backed by almost £45m over 2020-2025. We continue to celebrate the progress made from 2019 when the Government first made its HIV commitments, with approximately 4,500 people living with undiagnosed HIV and extremely high levels of antiretroviral therapy coverage and viral suppression.

Dementia: Medical Treatments

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that patients diagnosed with dementia are able to access breakthrough treatments as soon as possible.

Lord Markham: Several potential new disease modifying treatments for dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease are in development. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), NHS England and the Department are working closely to ensure that arrangements are in place to support the adoption of any new licensed and NICE recommended treatment for dementia as soon as possible. NICE’s evaluations of two new potential treatments, lecanemab and donanemab, are now underway. NICE has begun work in readiness for the companies submitting their evidence. This includes work done by NICE’s Health Technology Assessment Innovation Laboratory (HTA Lab) to identify the key issues that might arise during planned and future evaluations, based on current knowledge, publicly available evidence and in-depth discussions with researchers, patient groups and National Health Service colleagues. The NICE HTA Lab report found that NICE’s methods and processes for evaluating new treatments for use in the NHS are appropriate for the new class of Alzheimer’s drugs and identified key issues that need to be considered during evaluation.

Infectious Diseases: Climate Change

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what precautions they have taken against the spread of infectious diseases resulting from future climate emergencies.

Lord Markham: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) established a Centre for Climate and Health Security to address the challenges posed by climate change to public health. UKHSA was commissioned by the National Adaptation Programme to update the evidence on the health impacts of climate change through a United Kingdom-focused report entitled Health Effects of Climate Change in the UK. This report is due to be published in mid-December.UKHSA conducts horizon scanning for infectious disease signals to detect, assess and communicate potential infectious threats to UK public health. Working across Government, UKHSA has developed guidance and contingency response plans to support the prevention, management, and control of infectious diseases. Surveillance systems and diagnostic pathways are in place to detect, monitor trends of, report and rapidly diagnose infectious diseases. UKHSA specialist laboratories also work with research and One Health partners to ensure readiness of testing capacity for zoonotic and vector borne diseases, and to develop testing approaches which can detect novel and emerging pathogens.

Members: Correspondence

Lord Rogan: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care intends to respond to the letter from Lord Rogan dated 13 October 2023 enclosing correspondence on behalf of the board of trustees of EGFR Positive UK, and if so, when.

Lord Markham: The Department has received the noble lord’s letter of 13 October 2023 and will reply as soon as possible.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Gambling: Addictions

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the services available to address gambling addiction in the UK; and how they plan to further support those affected.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: His Majesty’s Government recognises that, while millions of people gamble without experiencing problems, for some it becomes an addiction with serious consequences. The Gambling White Paper, published in April this year, outlines a balanced and proportionate package of measures in response.The White Paper committed to introducing a statutory levy charged to gambling operators to raise trusted, ring-fenced funding for research into, and the prevention and treatment of, gambling-related harms. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has since launched a public consultation on the structure, distribution, and governance of the levy, which closes on 14 December.We propose that the levy provides sustainable funding for HM Government to develop a co-ordinated approach to prevention at local, regional, and national levels. It will provide investment for organisations, including in the third sector, for harm-prevention activities across Great Britain. This will facilitate more upstream interventions in the prevention of gambling-related harms, and will raise awareness of harms and support pathways.In England, the NHS Long-term Plan committed to expanding the geographical coverage of NHS services in England for people with serious gambling problems through the creation of 15 specialist gambling clinics by 2023/24, with £15 million of funding over this same period. Twelve of the 15 planned clinics are now open, with representation across every part of England. The three remaining clinics – in Liverpool, Blackpool, and Sheffield – will open by the end of the year.

Department for Business and Trade

UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan tointroduce legislation to deliver unfettered access for goods between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, and to remove the Irish Sea border, custom, and sanitary and phytosanitary checks, under the Windsor Framework.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: Following the agreement of the Windsor Framework, the Border Target Operating Model sets out that we will begin phasing in checks and controls for Irish goods and non-qualifying goods moving from the island of Ireland to Great Britian from 31 January 2024.With this approach, the Government fully preserves its longstanding commitments to ensure Northern Ireland’s businesses have full unconditional and unfettered access to their most important market in Great Britain.